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Roving Gambler
Short story showcasing Quin yos'Phelium *published in A Liaden Universe Constellation volume III *also published in Heirs to Trouble: Adventures in the Liaden Universe book 26 (with Code of Honor) Authors' Intro At times we, as coauthors, talk about and know so much about what’s going on in the universe that we forget that we haven’t written it down. “Roving Gambler” came from that abundance of information—dealing with story stuff that we knew but hadn’t quite managed to get into a novel or another short story yet. We have a lot of characters, and they are all involved—even if we haven’t had time to write them in. So here’s a story featuring Quin—we knew that Quin was isolated, we knew that the arrival of Korval on Surebleak was not going to be easy on the clan and on Pat Rin. Something, of course, was going to have to happen. “Roving Gambler” helps get Quin happening. Setting *Place: Surebleak. Quin's house, and the Emerald Casino *Time: Not too long after the big party at Jelaza Kazone (see Ghost Ship) when the pregnant Delmae Miri Robertson was man-handled by a dupe for The Department of the Interior: It was Quin’s rule never to leave his rooms without a gun—that had been the rule on the Rock, after all, to always go armed—and he’d not forgotten the memorable dust-up on the occasion of the recent All Boss party at Jelaza Kazone, where Cousin Theo’d showed Padi and him that, however good their training, they’d much to learn. Synopsis Pilot Quin yos'Phelium is alone for the day, while Boss Conrad and Cheever McFarland -- and presumably every other pilot on planet! -- are busy bringing Korval's ship-station to Surebleak orbit. So off he goes in a slight huff to the Emerald Casino, where he's very LUCKY at cards, gets into a spot of trouble, and meets Villy at the sticks table. (See Friend of a Friend) *Occasionally, Quin reflects on his responsibilities at Runig's Rock safe house (see Hidden Resources) *This story also mentions the coords for Tinsori Light Characters *Quin yos'Phelium *Villy Butler *Pat Rin yos'Phelium *Inas Bhar *Cheever McFarland *Scout dea’Liss at the casino, probably a member of the Surebleak Transition Team of the The Scouts *The Coat Excerpts "Cheever, he’s with the Boss -- the Port’s decided to do their ship-station move early and they need all the pilots they have to . . .” ...he’d brought the ship out of there, he had, Runig’s Rock under attack, Padi backing him up and . . . And here he sat, while pilots were needed? What did they think, that he’d forgotten how to fly? _______ Yes, he’d eat his breakfast and take his time; no reason to upset the staff by being short with them. They were not the ones ignoring him, they were not the ones forgetting his place in the family, they were not the ones forgetting his role in the clan! _______ Villy's first impression of Quin: The shadow half-behind him was a Liaden, silent, precise, watching. His boots were pilot boots, as Villy had learned. The jacket was a pilot’s jacket. The gun was a little bright, but if he was a pilot he’d have more than one, for sure. He looked too young for a Scout, though he might have been -- Villy had trouble figuring Liaden ages, smooth-skinned and beardless as they were -- but he wore a pilot’s jacket and earrings rich enough to be a pilot of some experience or note. But the jacket, worn loose, showed a local shirt and hint of glitter near the throat and the hair was looser and longer than he’d expect....The face showed a firmness he was becoming used to among the Liadens he dealt with; in fact it could be of the same mold as Boss Conrad or the Keeper of the Road. Alert blue eyes reading his moves and face while giving back little enough. _______ Category:Books and Stories Category:Characters